


Dancing in the Rain.

by Talcy



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Dancing, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:54:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24907189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talcy/pseuds/Talcy
Summary: The fishermen don't work alone, they work together.
Relationships: Hikawa Sayo/Imai Lisa
Comments: 6
Kudos: 53





	Dancing in the Rain.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first step for a long trip down the line. 
> 
> Huge thank you to Curanos, SaltBakedFish, and Flower (current name FlowerV4x) for beta-reading this fic!
> 
> Criticism is appreciated!

_Dum. Dum-ba-Dum. Dum-ba-Dm. Dum. Dum. Dum-ba-Dum._

Sounds of Taiko drums beating can be heard from a phone in the background.

The teal-haired guitarist is standing at the designated spot for dancing, ready for action. A serious expression can be seen on her face.

_Dum-ba-Dm. Dum-ba-Dum. Dum._

She lowers her body, holds her right hand out, with her palm facing the ground.

And starts thrusting it and retracting as if it had been struck by lightning.

The tempo of the taiko drums increase.

After finishing the repetitive movement from before, both of her hands go into a pulling motion, facing the ground.

Yet both hands look like whaling noodles in mid-air.

_"Heave-Ho! Heave-Ho!"_

She starts throwing her hands up into the air, but the action looks like it's chasing away ghosts.

_"Soran! Soran!"_

A wave motion is performed, albeit in a very harsh way, as if pushing someone away.

If one is watching this dance, they would describe being better than chasing away an exorcist but worse than watching a robot stiffly dancing.

Finally, after an excruciating period of dancing, Sayo stops, face a bit flushed from the copious amount of movement.

"How was it, Imai-san?"

Lisa had a strained smile on her face paired with a dazed expression.

"Imai-san?" Sayo asked again.

"Ah! I am sorry Sayo! The movement is great! Actually, it perfectly matches the dancer in the video. However...." Lisa grows quiet. Too nice to finish the sentence.

"It's too stiff, isn't it?"

"Yeah..."

Sayo internally sighed to herself.

_Why did she agree to join this fiasco in the first place?_

* * *

"A joint dance between Haneoka and Hanasakigawa?"

Sayo, who assists the Hanasakigawa student council on a daily basis, is surprised at the idea that Haneoka suggested.

Well, she shouldn't be so surprised since her unpredictable sister is the president of said school's student council.

"Yes, Hikawa-san...It's for a... fundraiser event." Rinko answered.

The teal-haired girl ponders for a bit.

"It sounds...."

"Normal? Yep, for sure. Considering this is your sister we're dealing with." Arisa huffed, still looking at the message she got from the vice president of Haneoka.

"Probably thanks to Hazawa-san's efforts." Sayo quickly said, thankful for the lack of weirdness.

"And it looks like we don't have to do much preparation this time. That's a nice break considering how much council work we just finished dealing with." Arisa puts down her phone and relaxes in her chair.

The three girls looked at each other knowingly, remembering how, during the last joint event, they're left with the majority of the paperwork because a particular teal-haired president kept running away from her responsibilities.

At a fast yet steady paste, the three review the documents for this event. Occasionally, one of them would comment on something, but they read the sheets silently. Working together in the student council for a long time has created a bond between them, although not at the level where they can telepathically communicate.

However, when they got to the last section, they had to lift their heads to discern an issue.

Taking that as the signal, Sayo starts reading the lines that contain the issue.

"Two selected third year from their respective schools must choose a representative as to lead the dance..."

"But the dance club president of our school left last year, so there is no one left to represent us." Arisa huffs.

"Do you guys know anybody in our school that's good at dancing?" Arisa asks the other two girls.

They both shook their heads.

"Ako-chan can dance well...But she goes to Haneoka..."

"Imai-san is one of the best dancers I know, but she also goes to Haneoka and is probably representing them." With that statement, the girls go silent again.

"If only we had someone like Hina-senpai. A genius that can quickly learn and is good at anything..." Arisa mumbles.

"Even someone that is.... second to her.... can probably handle this position," Rinko speaks slowly.

The two keyboardists stopped mumbling. Realizing they're thinking of the same person.

Then they turn their heads to look at the teal-haired guitarist.

"Huh? What's the matter, Shirokane-san, Ichigaya-san?"

* * *

Sayo considers herself to be a rational person.

If a request is reasonable, then she will consider it and most likely accept it.

So why did she agree to such an unreasonable request?!

"Hazawa-san! Why are you in accord with Shirokane-san and Ichigaya-san's preposterous decision?!" Sayo complained.

After being persuaded by Rinko, Arisa, and Hina, (Damn those puppy eyes) Sayo is currently being dragged to Haneoka to, "practice with the other representative."

Being the peacemaker, she is, Tsugumi, the vice-president of Haneoka is trying to calm down Sayo's bad mood. "Well, Sayo-san, it does seem like the most reasonable decision at that time, so-"

"Come on, onee-chan! It'll be Boppin~"

As usual, the younger Hikawa interrupts.

"Hina. No. You know I am not good at dancing."

"Hmm. Are you sure onee-chan? I remember you dancing really well in elementary school in that one festival!" Hina then starts doing the said dance. This makes Sayo hide her face in embarrassment while Tsugu just giggles at the commotion.

"Jeez, that dance was embarrassing...But, Hina that was so long ago, how can you be so sure that I can pick up the dance quickly? It's probably something I haven't even tried before?" Sayo slowly speaks up after lifting her face from her hands.

Hina pouts and looks at Sayo straight in the eyes. Sayo was at first surprised by her sister's act, but she quickly understands what her sister is trying to imply.

"Alright. I am sorry, Hina. I shouldn't doubt myself ever again." Sayo apologizes.

"That's it, onee-chan! Now let's see who can race to Haneoka faster!"

"Eh?! Hina, wait for me!"

As the two races off in distance, Tsugu also starts picking up speed to catch up to them. It was wonderful to see the two of them being...well, like sisters with each other. She remembers the first time she brought up the topic of Hina with Sayo, who...didn't react too well.

_Now that she thinks about it, how did the relationship between the two heal?_

_Who was it that gave Sayo-san the courage?_

* * *

Since it's already late in the afternoon, the majority of Haneoka is basically empty. Not a single sound can be heard in the halls. Sayo inspects as she walks through the hallways to the dance room. She remembers the last time that she had come to Haneoka to give Hina her lunch, which...was not too long ago, actually.

Classroom 124...Classroom 125...

As Sayo approaches the dance room, she starts to hear faint sounds of music.

_It sounds like.... a traditional Japanese song?_

She listens to the rhythm. The music gives off a very determined feel, and the drumming is definitely solid.

She reaches the room before she even realized it. By the time she reacted, the music had already stopped, and the door to the room has been opened by...

"Oh, hi-Eh? Sayo?"

None other than the bassist of Roselia.

"Greetings, Imai-san." Sayo expected the Haneoka representative to be Lisa, but certainly not meeting each other in such a close atmosphere.

Well, it's her fault her standing so close to the door like an idiot.

Lisa's face is close. Sayo can see the sweat trails down Lisa's face, but that didn't detriment Lisa's beauty one bit. In reality, the trails only made her smooth skin stand out even more. Her face is flushed from dancing, those cheeks red as the color of her bass.

_What in the world am I thinking?!_

Both of them stumble back a bit. Sayo immediately turns her head to hide her embarrassment.

"Ah, you must be the representative that Hina messaged me about! She was relatively vague in her text, but it makes more sense now. Come in, Sayo~" Lisa recovered quickly and dragged Sayo into the room.

Sayo internally sighed to herself.

_Why do I feel like this when I am around you?_

* * *

The two now stand in the medium-sized room. Sayo noted that the room has a large mirror embedded on one of the walls, most likely for one to see their own movements and correct them. The floor, instead of the usual carpet floors that the classrooms have, has a smooth, wood texture. It reminds her of the Circle studio room, but the dance room feels more closed in. More personalized for the usage of dancing.

"Alright, Sayo. Do you know what dance we're doing?"

Sayo shook her head to Lisa's question.

"Ok~ So we are doing the Soran dance, does that ring a bell?"

"Oh, that's why it sounds so familiar...." Sayo remembers now. When she was younger, she saw a group of high school students perform the same dance, and if she recalls correctly...

"...It's a dance about comprehending the fisherman?"

"Mou~ You seem to know a lot about it, Sayo~"

"Just the rudimental knowledge of the dance. I know nothing of the origin."

"Alright! The folk song "Soran Bushi" was how fishermen prayed for a good catch. The dance is not only to express the lives of the beauty of men living on the sea, but also to show the feelings of the fish as they strive to escape from the tightening net!" Lisa explained.

"You seem to know a lot about this, Imai-san." Sayo complimented.

"Ha-ha not really! I just watched an anime and it so just happened to have an episode on the song." Lisa replied sheepishly, "Now, I only started practicing the song this afternoon, but I think I will first help you to learn it, Sayo~"

"Alright."

Lisa set her phone down with the video of the dance displayed and started guiding Sayo on how to dance.

* * *

It's only a few weeks from the event and her dance hasn't gotten any better. Sayo has no idea how to make her dance more fruitful. She has read tens of historical documents in order to better understand the life of the past Japanese fisherman. She had been listening to the song non-stop and the phrase "Soran" at this point is permanently embedded into her mind. She even took the idea of "finding" a sound through screaming and dancing the song every morning. Despite all the effort, there are still no visible signs of improvement.

"Sayo-san, why are you sighing?" The purple-haired drummer asks.

"It's nothing, Udagawa-san."

"No. Sayo-san! You're acting like that as if a silence and unluck debuff have been cast upon you. Your aura reeks of impureness!"

And as usual, Sayo is tutoring Ako at her house, because she and Rinko have to make sure the dark wizard won't fail her education because of Roselia and NFO.

"Reeks of impureness...?"

"Yes. Now, only if we had Lisa-nee cast her benevolent healing magic on you, I am sure all your conditions would be all cured!" The drummer beams. Her face painted with a confident smile.

"But isn't Imai-san only level 25? I cannot imagine her being a very effective healer for us unless we hold another NFO Roselia grind sessi-"

"That's not the point! Her magic doesn't have to be strong. Through the power of affection and devotion from Lisa-nee, she can heal any damage on you!" Ako pouts, clearly a bit pissed at Sayo's oblivious mind. If this goes on forever, Ako's dream ship of Sayo/Lisa would never sail. Perhaps she needs some assistance from the bread connoisseur to give Lisa a bit of a push.

Sayo sighs again. "Alright, whatever you say, Udagawa-san." Her face still evident with signs of adversity.

Ako stares deeply into Sayo's eyes, trying to figure out what's the issue. Sayo stares back, and the two get locked into a staring competition. Sayo is a bit annoyed by Ako's antics, but she understands why the drummer is feeling like this. Under all that of that fantasy jargon, Ako is just a girl who cares for those close to her.

She still remembers how she lashed out at Ako when Roselia started. That experience is something she always regretted, but the drummer stayed with her as a friend. She always had been like this to her old bandmates, cold, merciless. Yet, because of a certain brunette, her relationship with the band slowly improved.

It would be cowardly for her to back down again.

"Alright. You win, Udagawa-san."

"Ah-ha-ha! The dark lord won't lose so easily to an eye-staring contest. Now tell me, knight Sayo, what's the impediment plunging your heart?"

* * *

The teal-haired guitarist walked along the rubble paths downtown, where the summer festival would normally be held. There still would be a few months before the start of the festival.

However, because of the school dance and the upcoming festival, a certain red-haired drummer practices here often, as she was told by Ako.

She's been here before, once, and even joining the boisterous drummer in playing the taiko drums to drive away from the rain. Although she is sure that's not how things work scientifically, it's a memorable experience.

"Hey, Sayo-senpai!"

"Ah, greetings, Tomoe-san."

This is the second time she saw her in the blue uniform, with white waves sewed along the edges. Two sticks in her hand, trembling from excitement.

"So, you're the representative for Hanasakigawa, heh?" Tomoe asked with amusement with her voice. After hearing exaggerated tales from Moca, she definitely wants to hear about it more.

"It's no special position. I simply was dragged by Hina and persuaded by my school's council members to start practicing the dance...."

"Eh? But what about those tales I heard that you and Lisa-senpai doing stuff together-" Before Tomoe can finish, Sayo cut her off, her face burning with a passionate scarlet.

"It's was simply joint practice. Nothing more." Sayo mumbled.

"Alright, alright, I got it. It's Moca after all. She probably stretched the truth by like ten-fold." Tomoe reassures Sayo, patting her on the back.

"So, what brings you here, senpai?"

"Ah yes. Tomoe-san, I want to ask about the feeling you get when you beat the taiko drums." Sayo quickly explains.

"The feeling? Hmm..." Tomoe thinks for a bit.

"There are a lot of techniques involved when beating the drums, but what's important is the spirit and the message you want to deliver."

"...So, it's similar to how Shirokane-san uses the piano to express herself?"

"Exactly! But the drumming is a less delicate and more robust and powerful message. You want the audience to clearly hear you and feel the emotions lying under."

Tomoe readies her sticks and starts a low volume drumming on the large taiko drum.

"Remember how it started raining during the last summer festival and how we beat the drums until the clouds dispersed? Think about your beliefs at that time."

The teal haired guitarist reminiscences that time she played the drums. It was raining hard, and the festival seemed to be on the verge of closing. She blamed herself for bringing the rain as her bad luck with festivals. But when she saw Tomoe and her Hanasakigawa juniors beating the drums hard, she can feel the spirit bursting out of them. Sayo believed them and joined the drumming. Her body hurt a lot afterward, but it was fun. The clouds had scattered that time, allowing the sun to shine a ray of hope for the continuation of the festival.

_Maybe the starting point for her dance is to understand what the dance means to her?_

"I understand now. Thank you, Tomoe-san."

"No problem, Sayo-senpai! Just make sure Ako's grades stay afloat!"

"Of course." She promises.

* * *

"Imai-san, is it fine you guide me through the dance?" Sayo asks Lisa after finishing solo practice.

Lisa visibly flinches and flushes hard. 

"Eh?! But Sayo, your dance has already improved, I don't think you need my guidance anymore..." Desperately trying to hide her face while responding to Sayo.

"Well, I think we can understand the spirit of the fishermen even better." Sayo manages to say the statement with a stale face, but her cheeks are slightly, just slightly red.

Meanwhile, Lisa is in a conflicted state. On one hand, there is really no logical reason to guide Sayo all the way through the dance again, and she shouldn't let her personal desires indulge her decisions. On the other hand...

She really wants to touch that smooth skin of Sayo's.

Damn Moca's suggestion.

Lisa nods.

Sayo holds out her hand and the brunette accepts it.

The music starts playing again.

Sounds of Taiko drums beating can be heard from Lisa's phone.

Lisa starts guiding Sayo's movements but found herself switching the role with the guitarist. One moment, she would be leading the dance. The next moment, she found herself leaning into Sayo's touch, the latter doing the same.

Their skins are burning from contact, and the room immediately feels suffocating. Yet, under the intense heat, both continued.

Their actions are synchronized; dancing harmonized. Each movement is taken with a powerful force, but not to the point where it hurts either of them.

The fishermen don't work alone, they work together.

They can trust each other in their movements.

After all, is there a reason not to?

_My message is that I trust you, Imai-san._

_Same to you, Sayo._

* * *

The day of the performance arrives.

The taiko drums start beating.

_Dum. Dum-ba-Dum. Dum-ba-Dm. Dum. Dum. Dum-ba-Dum._

The two representatives look at each other.

"Ready?"

"When you are, Imai-san."

The two move onto the field.

Various roars can be heard from the crowd and the drummers.

"Soran!" Both of them yell.

They both squatted close to the ground, body lowered, right hand holding out as if to grip a net.

_Dum-ba-Dm. Dum-ba-Dum. Dum._

The duo holds out a hand like a fish, swimming frantically for safety. The movement is decisive, but not rushed.

The drums start to increase in tempo.

The fish escapes from right to left, then reversed its movements.

Realizing there is no escape it swam down.

"Heave-Ho! Heave-Ho!"

The duo moves their hands in a pulling fashion at the ground.

Only to be captured by the fisherman's quick pull on the net.

The short hop is performed by them both.

"SORAN!"

Then, lowering their bodies, even more, they start pulling the net.

The net stretches from one side to another, seemingly to be pulled to the extreme, on the verge of tearing apart.

"Dokkoisho! Dokkoisho!"

The two now throw their hands back into the air, tossing the imaginary captured fish into the boat.

The two manage to maintain the pattern. Toss, pull, repeat.

Toss, pull, repeat.

Suddenly, a large fish is caught in Sayo's net.

The pain from pulling the net grows worse.

She feels her hands are being ripped.

Then, another pair, that is not smoothed but covered with bruises, comes to her aid.

Under both of their efforts, the fish was pulled out of the sea.

* * *

The dance was finished.

The two performers are now back in the resting room, alone.

Both of their faces flushed because of dancing.

They look at each other.

Their bodies move by themselves.

Closer and closer till their faces are nearly touching.

Their hands hold each other’s' lustrous faces delicately.

Moving their lips closer and closer.

They both didn't know how to describe the situation.

But this bond between them is something they can trust.

* * *

As the two indulge in each other, they did not notice the door has been slightly open. With five faces looking inside.

"Finally! This is so Boppin~ Onee-chan has a girlfriend now~"

"H-Hina-senpai, we really shouldn't be peeking on them..."

"Honestly, these two have been dancing around each other forever."

"FINALLY! AKO'S SHIP HAS FINALLY SAILED!"

"Ak-ko-chan, we should be a bit quieter, so -so they don't notice us..."

**Author's Note:**

> Whew, my first ever Bandori fic in ao3. 
> 
> The inspiration for this fic literally came from that one anime episode. (You Kaguya-sama Love is War people know which one I am talking about.)
> 
> What's even funnier is this fic is supposed to be a crack-fic but oh-boy look at how far I've come. 
> 
> Also, a quick apology to TomoeSaaya shippers as it's originally supposed to a fic about them, but I figured the "dance" part fits Lisa better. The breadwinner and queen will get its own fic in the future!
> 
> Finally, thank you guys for reading this fic. Stay safe!


End file.
